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"Addiction" is a word that has had trouble holding onto its actual meaning because it's been used too often. Folks have said that any craving, for anything from a much loved movie genre to a popular food, is something they're "addicted" to. It's one thing to say we have a "jones" for something that we feel powerfully attracted to, but a valid addiction is different and can be injurious. Then again, a number of "addictions" may not be to damaging substances. Even some authentic addictions are preset on neutral or positive objects. Is that hot fudge sundae something you mildly crave, or is it a valid addiction? We'll deal with a few of the warning signs of real addiction.
Do you learn you need more of what you crave to make you experience the same? In the past perhaps one cup of morning Joe was enough to make you feel ready to take on the day. Now you understand that it may take two or more cups before you feel the way you used to after one. This can be a sign of addiction. What may have begun as an effortless yearning is starting to dominate our lives when we find that it takes a larger and larger amount to make us feel right. Often addiction might be established early and definitively by this occurrence.
Do you strive to keep individuals from finding your stash of hidden goodies? This is something that lots of individuals who become addicted to drugs and alcohol will do. They do this because they've realized that their use has become conspicuous as a result they hide things around their homes and workplaces so that getting a fix is easy and private. It really is a major indicator that you could be addicted when you conceal things so people won't see you using and won't find your stockpiles. Don't agonize about basically hiding one large chocolate bar because you think your roommate may find it and gobble it up, but if you're hiding ten bars and swearing that you've given up chocolate, you could have a problem.
Are you open with others regarding how much or how habitually you have what you desire? To provide an example, alcoholics will often initiate drinking at home before going out for drinks with friends. This allows them to drink as much as they want without it looking like they are drinking a lot in public. Or it can be probable that subsequent to drinking with associates they'll keep going on their own in private. It is a clear signal of shame and guilt when you utilize this kind of strategy to lie implicitly about your actions. Listen to that sensation.
Identify that there are a huge amount of distinctive types of addiction. We may become addicted to things like shopping, working out and eating just as simply as we can become addicted to drugs or alcohol. Really ask yourself if it's taking more of something to make you feel good, if you're concealing things or lying in relation to what you're doing, and if you feel guilty or ashamed; if so you're experiencing the warning signs of addiction and would be well advised to get some counseling. We tend to lose our way when we discover that something else is in control and we've lost all sense of balance to something that would possibly have been fine when indulged occasionally.
Don't suffer alone and don't believe you can heal yourself; look for help if you see the warning signs of addiction in your life. There is no grounds to permit these things to have control over your life.
